Selectable price-volume dispensing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary selection control assembly may be preset to modify the operation of the main selection control assembly of a vending or dispensing machine, such modification causing, for example, an extra amount of beverage to be dispensed over and above that provided by the same selection when the latter is in an unmodified condition. Each selection may be set for a modified or a normal dispensing operation independently of all other selections such that individual price and volume combinations may be established.

United States Patent 1- Crabaugh et a1.

[54] SELECTABLE PRICE-VOLUME DISPENSING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Kenneth G. Crabaugh; Arthur R.

Templeman, both of Kansas City, Mo.

[73] Assignee: The Vendo Company, Kansas City,

22 Filed: Mar. 23, 1972 21 Appl.No.:237,457

[52] U.S.,Cl. ..74/483 PB, 200/5 EB [51] Int. Cl. ..G05g 11/00 [58] Field of Search ..222/76, 133, 134,

222/144; 221/206, 207, 93, 94, I29; 200/5 R, 51,5 EA, SEE, 5 E; 74/471 R, 471 XY, 483 PB, 477

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,382 6/1954 Peterson et al. ..74/483 PB 1 June 5, 1973 2,431,904 12/1947 Andrews ....200/5 EB 2,934,613 4/1960 Stoner et al. ....200/5 EB 2,414,307 l/1947 Johnson ...200/5 EA 3,606,961 9/1971 King ..222/76 Primary ExaminerSamuel F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey & Williams [5 7] ABSTRACT An auxiliary selection control assembly may be preset to modify the operation of the main selection control assembly of a vending or dispensing machine, such modification causing, for example, an extra amount of I beverage to be dispensed over and above that provided by the same selection when the latter is in an unmodified condition. Each selection may be set for a modified or a normal dispensing operation independently of all other selections such that individual price and volume combinations may be established.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SELECTABLE PRICE-VOLUME DISPENSING APPARATUS This invention relates generally to vending and dispensing machines and, more particularly, to an improvement in the price and volume control apparatus of machines of the beverage dispensing type.

Machines for dispensing any one of an assortment of different beverages or combination of ingredients such as coffee with or without cream and/or sugar, soup, and hot chocolate commonly have a series of selector plungers provided on the outside of the machine, any one of which must be pushed by a customer through a displacement to effect camming of a corresponding combination of plates against electrical switches to cause actuation of dispensing mechanism for the se-, lected beverage.

I It has been found that different geographical locations often will economically support different price and volume combinations, such as for example, a cent cup of coffee in one location, and a larger, cent cup of coffee in another location. Accordingly, in order to compensate for such variationsin market conditions without taking the more costly approach of providing a special selection control assembly for each situation, it is desirable that the selection controlassembly be capable of accommodating various price and, volume combinations by means of simple prjesettableadjustments.

Therefore, an importantobject of the present invention is to provide selection control apparatusfor multi ple selection dispensing 'orvending machines which may be selectively preset at the option of thevendor for either normal or modified operatiomsuch as to provide at least two price and volume combinations for each product selection.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of control apparatusas aboveset forth which is selectively operable with; respect to each of the product selections such that price and v olurne modif cations may be made for each selection independently of the remaining selectionsfthereby permitting the establishment of certain selections at one price and volume combination and other selections at another com-, bination.

A further important object of the instant invention is to provide selection control apparatus as aforesaid which may be produced by modifications and additions to existing manual control apparatus such that the desired price and volume versatility may. be obtained without discarding existing controls and without encountering excessive expensein terms of both time and money.

Other objects will become clear to thos skilled in the art'from the detailed description and accompanying drawings which follow, wherein;

FIG. '1 is an elevational view of the normally verti-. cally disposed selection control apparatus of the pres-,

ent invention as it would appear in use;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the-apparatus rotated FIG 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the lower end of the apparatus rotated 180 from the position of FIG. 1 with the bottom plate of the main control assembly partially broken away to reveal the plunger members and cam plates therebelow.

The control apparatus 10 includes two major sections, a main control assembly 12 and a selection modifying assembly 14. Mechanism such as assembly 12 has been used in the past to perform control functions for vending or dispensing machines but assembly 14 is new and is combined with assembly 12 to render the entire apparatus 10 capable of presettable price and volume combinations.

Structural details of assembly 12 are known in the art and, therefore, will be accorded only brief description. Assembly 12 includes an elongated, U-shaped main structural channel 16 (FIG. 3) which shiftably supports a plurality of laterally spaced selector members 18 for movement transversely of channel 16. Each member 18 projects through the opposed legs 16a and 16b of channel 16 and has an extension 20 for projection beyond leg 16b and the exterior of the machine cabinet when apparatus 10 is installed therein. The opposite end of each member 18 protrudes slightly beyond leg 16a and is beveled. A shank and roller assembly 22 extends'perpendicularly from each member 18 through the back 16c of channel 16 and beyond the same. Each member 18, has a U-shaped mounting component 24 between legs16a and 16b for the corresponding shaft androller assembly 22 and for a compression spring 26, which biases member 18 toward its normal, fullyextended position as shown in the FIGURES.

A side plate 28'is affixed to channel 16 in spaced relationship. to back, 160 thereof to define an operating space for a plurality of juxtaposed, vertical cam plates 30 which are individually shiftable longitudinally of channell6. As shown best in FIG. 5, plate 28 has a series of laterally extending, longitudinally spaced slots 32, each of which is adapted to receive a roller 22 upon inward shifting of the corresponding member 18, and cam plates 30 are each provided with a series of rollerreceiving inlets 34 along one margin thereof which register in differing degrees with the corresponding slots 32. Thus, inlets 34 present strategically located cam edges 36 which are adapted for engagement with their rollers 22 during shifting of the latter.

Each plate 30 is provided with one or more inturned fingers 38 at the lower end thereof which are aligned with corresponding control tabs of a line of switches 40 which control circuitry (not shown) for the beverage dispensing mechanism. As a member 18 is selected and pushed, the roller 22 thereof engages cam edges 36 of a predetermined number of the plates 30 and shifts those particularplates 30 in combination toward their switches 40 until the latter have been actuated'by the v appropriate fingers 38. The circuits thus energized by switches 40 cause, for example, delivery of a cup' to a customer-access station and filling of the delivered cup with, a selected beverage to a predetermined volume. A normally open switch 42 at the lower end of apparatus 10 adjacent switches 40 is adapted to open and close a circuit (not shown) for. modifying the function performed by switches 40. Switch 42 is actuatable by assembly 14 which includes a shiftable actuator 44 mounted for movement longitudinally of channel 16 by a pair of studs 46 projecting through corresponding elongated openings (not shown) in an extension 28a gated, U-shaped cover plate 48 having an inturned, switch-engaging tab 50 at the lower end thereof and an elongated baseplate 52 bridging the legs of plate 48 to present an open area between the latter and plate 52."

A plurality of L-shaped cam button elements 54 are spaced along plate 48, there being a button 54 for each member 18.

As shown best in FIG. 4, each cam button 54 is L- shaped in configuration, presenting a pair of intersecting legs 56 and 58. A large, circular collar 60 is disposed at the base of leg 56, while the other leg 58 has an inclined cam face 62 at the outer end thereof. A short lug 64 is disposed on the back of leg 56 at the junction of the latter with collar 60, and a long nib 66 is disposed substantially at the front of button 54 extending from the collar 60 to the underside of the leg 58.

The leg 56 of each button 54 is tubular for both axially shiftable and rotatable reception of a spindle 68 affixed to plate 52 which projects outwardly from the latter through an irregularly-shaped opening 70 in cover plate 48. Collar 60 is larger in diameter than opening 70 and is disposed on the inside of plate 48 to retain the button 54 in place against the biasing action of a coil spring 72 surrounding shaft 68 and abutting collar 60. The opening 70 has a pair of slots 74 circumferentially spaced 90 from one another for receiving lug 64 when button 54 is disposed in either of the rotative positions illustrated by the buttons 54a and 54b in FIG. 1. Depression of button 54 against the action of coil spring 72 moves lug 64 out of the corresponding slot 74, whereupon button 54 may be rotated to the other of its alternate positions. An enlarged, arcuate sector 76 in opening 70 clears the nib 66 during rotation of button 54, but a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulders 78 at opposite ends of sector 76 serve to limit rotation of button 54. A tension spring 80 (FIGS. 1 and 2) connects the uppermost end of actuator 44 with channel 16 to yieldably bias actuator 44 away from switch 42.

When a button is placed in the position illustrated by button 54b, face 62 thereof is disposed out of the path of travel of the proximal end of the corresponding member 18b. Therefore, when member 18b is pushed inwardly to effect a product selection, member 18b clears button 54b such that switch 42 is left in its open condition, thereby producing a normal operation of the dispensing mechanism through switches 40. However, when the button is positioned as illustrated by button 54a, cam face 62 thereof is disposed in the path of travel of the corresponding member 18a. Thus, in addition to actuation of switches 40, switch 42 is also actuated as the beveled end of moving member 180 engages cam face .62 to shift actuator 44 against switch 42. The modifying circuit is thereby energized to cause a larger or smaller volume by beverage to be dispensed than in a normal operation. Upon release of member 18a, the latter springs back to its original position and actuator 44 returns via spring 80 to its standby position.

It is important to note that each button 54 is operable independently of any other buttons 54 of assembly 14, thus permitting certain of the selections to be preset for larger prices and volumes than others. Therefore, variations in customer demand for each product at different locations may be accommodated instead of requiring all selections to be uniformly preset for either normal or modified operation. Moreover, it is especially noteworthy that the desired versatility of apparatus 10 may be provided by simply adding the new assembly 14 to-the existing assembly 12. Large-scale revisions of assembly 12 are not necessary in adapting the latter for operation with assembly 14, such that changeover of existing machines may be carried out with a minimum of time and effort.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various minor modifications and substitutions of equivalents could be made from the preferred structure described for purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit and gist of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should be deemed limited only by the fair scope of the claims that follow.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In product selection control apparatus for a dispensing machine:

a plurality of product selector members each mounted for movement independently of the other members between a normal position and a productselecting position;

a plurality of first actuatable control means for performing a selection control function;

means for operably coupling each of said members with certain of said first control means for actuation of the latter to perform said selection control function in response to movement of any member from said normal position to said productselecting position;

second actuatable control means operable upon actuation to modify said selection control function performed by an actuated first control means; and

actuating means for said second control means, in-

cluding means for at least certain of said members disposable for engagement by the corresponding certain member, said actuating means being shiftable to actuate said second control means in response the selective movement of any of said certain members into said product-selection position when the corresponding engageable means is so disposed.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said engageable means has selectable operative and inoperative conditions for rendering said actuating means selectively operable with respect to each of said certain members, whereby to permit the selective modification of said selection control function with respect to particular selected ones of said certain members and said first control means independently of the remaining members and first control means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuating means includes a shiftable actuator mounted for movement between a standby position and an operating position and a shiftable cam element on'said actuator for each of said members respectively, each cam element being selectively movable between a first position in which the cam element is out of the path of travel of the corresponding member and a second position in which the element is in the path of travel of its member for causing shifting of the actuator into said operating position in response to shifting of the corresponding member into said product-selecting position.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein is provided yieldable means associated with said actuator and biasing the same into said standby position.

and slot means on the/actuator for said lug means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein is provided means yieldably biasing said lug means into said slot means. 

1. In product selection control apparatus for a dispensing machine: a plurality of product selector members each mounted for movement independently of the other members between a normal position and a product-selecting position; a plurality of first actuatable control means for performing a selection control function; means for operably coupling each of said members with certain of said first control means for actuation of the latter to perform said selection control function in response to movement of any member from said normal position to said productselecting position; second actuatable control means operable upon actuation to modify said selection control function performed by an actuated first control means; and actuating means for said second control means, including means for at least certain of said members disposable for engagement by the corresponding certain member, said actuating means being shiftable to actuate said second control means in response the selective movement of any of said certain members into said product-selection position when the corresponding engageable means is so disposed.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said engageable means has selectable operative and inoperative conditions for rendering said actuating means selectively operable with respect to each of said certain members, whereby to permit the selective modification of said selection control function with respect to particular selected ones of said certain members and said first control means independently of the remaining members and first control means.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuating means includes a shiftable actuator mounted for movement between a standby position and an operating position and a shiftable cam element on said actuator for each of said members respectively, each cam element being selectively movable between a first position in which the cam element is out of the path of travel of the corresponding member and a second position in which the element is in the path of travel of its member for causing shifting of the actuator into said operating position in response to shifting of the corresponding member into said product-selecting position.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein is provided yieldable means associated with said actuator and biasing the same into said standby position.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein is provided releasable retaining means for each said cam element operable to hold the element in either of its alternate positions.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said retaining means includes lug means on the cam element and slot means on the actuator for said lug means.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein is provided means yieldably biasing said lug means into said slot means. 